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Old Rag Mountain |
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On Sunday, July 23, 2005 my co-worker, Sarah, and I went hiking on Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. The trail is a 7.1-mile loop hike to the peak of the mountain. To the right is a picture of me near the peak. |
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Photo by S. Shaw - July 23, 2005 |
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Old Rag Mountain is an isolated peak east of the main ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Skyline Drive. Old Rag Mountain is made up of the Precambrian Old Rag Granite. |
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Photo by CFred - July 23, 2005 |
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The Old Rag Granite is composed primarily of very coarse bluish gray quartz and cream-colored perthitic microcline (feldspar). It contains very few dark minerals. The granite is highly resistant and near the peak has eroded in place into spherical boulder remnants. |
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Photo by S. Shaw - July 23, 2005 |
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The Old Rag Granite is unconformably overlain by the Catoctin Formation. A series of north-trending diabasic greenstone dikes probably represent fractures through which the basalts of the Catoctin Formation were extruded. |
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Photo by CFred - July 23, 2005 |
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A white-tailed deer next to the trail leading up the east side of the mountain. It didn't seem very scared of people. |
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Photo by CFred - July 23, 2005 |
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For more information on the geology of Old Rag Mountain click here. |
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